Method of making paper drinking-cups.



L. S. REYNAL.

METHOD 0F MAKING PAPER DRINKING CUPS.

APPLICMION FILED IAN. l5. i917. Patented Jan. 29,19%.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. l5. 1917.

SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'sanas agrar-rr aerien.

LOUIS S. REYNA@ 0F NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSGNOR T0 THE AMERICANPAPER GOODS CMPANY, 0Fa KENSINGTON, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F NEW5RESIST.

Speecation of Letters Patent.

METHOD 0F MAKING PAPER DRINKING-CUIS.

Patented dan. 29, will@ Application tiled January 15, 1917. Serial No.142,389.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUis S. REYNAL, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMethods of Making Paper Drinking-Cups, of whichthe following is aspecification.

This invention 'relates to a /method of making paper drinking cups. Oneof the fundamental purposes of the method is the production of cups inan economical manner, which is an important consideration.- lllfheinitial step in .the preferred form of the method consists in cutting inany desirable manner from a sheet or suitable paper stock, blanks fromwhich the necessary cups are to be formed, the cuts being onsuceessivelyop posite angles, the result being that there is virtually no stockwasted; as a matterr ofy fact there is practically no stock losty afterthe first angular cut is made and until'the last angular cut is lnished.Each blank as will be clear, has side edges which converge in onedirection and diverge in the opposite along practically similar angles,owing to which circumstance when a blank is cut, the' cut defines theinner side edge of the severed blank and the outer side edge of theblank to be next cut. y

`Wliile a cup'can advantageously be made from this type of blank,it isconceivable that it could be made from some other style of blank. A cupmade by the method possesses a desirable amount 'of strength, and issufficiently reinforced as to prevent its accidental leakage while inuse under ordinary conditions. The cup is -of such nature that it can beeasily opened. In the drawings accompanying and forming part of thepresent specification I have shown certain ways of carrying the method4into etl'ect. These I will set forth in detail in the followingdescription. Obviously I do not restrict myself to this particularconstruction; I may depart therefrom in several respects within thescope of the invention defined by the claims following said' Fig. 2 is aview of several of the blanks arranged side by side.

Fig. 3 is a view of one of the blanks, the plotted lines showing thetransverse fold mes.

Fig. 4: is a similar view, the longitudinal and transverse fold linesalso appearing and additional dotted lines showing the outer` or lateralfolds.

Fig. 5 is a view of the blank doubled on itself to present the leaves ofthe cup, the .dotted lines showing the lateral folds and also thelongitudinal fold.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation ofthe iinished cup. y

Fig, 7 is a perspective view of the cup opened.

Like characters refer t'olike parts throughout the several views. l

As I have already observed one important feature in connection with themethod is the fact that I can use stock in weber flat form from whichcan be out by suitable means, the cup blanks with practically no waste.In Fig. 1 I have shown such a sheet or web 2. As illustrated the sideedges of the sheetare straight and in parallelism, which is thepreferred relation, l although not always necessary. This sheet is ormay be of the material usually employed in making paper drinking cups.It is alternately cut along opposite angles as 3, il, 5 and so on. Theweb o r, stock 2 is generally in the form of a roll and theweb of paperor equivalent material maybe advanced and cut in a machine or even byhand to'produce the requisite blanks one as 6 of which is shown in saidlet Fig.- .las wholly severed from the sheet. In I equal angles towardone end of the sheet and naturally diverge toward the other.- vIt willbe apparent that when the web or sheet 2 is cut upto form the cup blanksas 6,110 par- Iticle goes to waste unless I exceptthe 'two smalltriangular pieces `at theends of the web, and they. are of practicallyno consequence. When a blank as 6 is cut away from the sheet 2, the lineof severance between it and the Jfront edge of the sheet defines oneedge of the cut blank and the opposite edge of the blank next to be cutand so on.

After a blank as' V'which is merel one" ics of several,

gitudinal creasing of the blank facilitates the opening of the finishedcup as best illustrated in Fig. 7. After the blank is scored or creasedin the manner to which I have just alluded, it is folded or doubled onitself along the transverse fold line 8 to produce the leaves 9 and 10which are superimposed upon each other, the two leaves constitutingsides of 'the cup. ylfhese are shown in their superimposed relation inFig. 5. The leaf or side 10 as shown is a trifle longer than thecomplemental wing or side 9, the. result being that the upper portion ofthe former extends upwardly beyond the upper edge of the latter, theextending portion of the leaf 10 constituting a finger or thumb v piecewhich can be grasped to facilitate the opening of the finished cup.There may be cases where I can dispense with the longitudinal crease orfold 7 and rely upon the eX- tension of the leaf 10 to open the cup orvice versa but by providing for both conditions 1 insure the opening ofthe cup in a highly satisfactory manner. desire to call atten` tion tothe fact that the transverse fold lilies S of alternate blanks aresituated respectively at opposite sides of the`longitu dinal centralline or axis 11 of the. web or sheet 2; this is indicated in Fig. Q. Itwill be noted that when the blank t3 has been folded or doubled onitself transversely to produce the complemental leaves, the leaf 9 iswider than the leaf 10. As a consequence I will consider the former thewide leaf and the latter the narrow leaf.

After the blank has been doubled or folded on itself transversely toproduce the said two leaves, the folded blank laterally folded uponitself on opposite sides along the lines 12 and 13, these fold linesbest appearing in Fig. -t and extending longitudinally of the twoleaves. By folding the blank laterally on itself I produce side flaps14: on the wide leaf 9 and side liaps 15 on the leaf 10. The two seriesof fold linesl l2 and 153 converge inwardl).Y toward the transverse foldwhich it will be noted constitutes the bottom of the cup the respectivelateral fold lines which produce these side" flaps meeting saidtransverse fold lines. These transverse folds which prot-luce the flapsor tabs extend the complete length of the wide leaf 9 but only parl ofthe length of the narrow leaff the fold line.` eonimeno ing with thetransverse fold and continuing to about a half or a trifle more than ahalf the height of the cup. This is fully illustrated in Fig. 5. Afterthe fold lines l2 and 13 have been made to secure the side flaps orwings 1l and 15 a suitable adhesive as 16 is applied to these sideWings.

Maestro While generally speaking this adhesive may be applied at anysuitable time, it is usually put on after the transverse fold 8 is made.It will be seen that with the blank transversely folded and with thelateral fold lines present, the wings 15 cross the lower ends of thewings 14. The adhesive 16 is 'applied to the lsaid side wings or flaps14 and 15 near their outer edges as shown in said Fig. 5, the adhesiveareas being of such width. however, that when the cup is lin ished, theadhesive will not come against the inner surface of the wide leaf 9 butwill attach itself only to the narrow leaf 10 as otherwise opening ofthe cup'would be prevented. After the adhesive applied. the side wingswill be folded over ontothe. narrow leaf 10. and when the adhesive isset, the cup will be finished and in readiness for use.

1t will. of course. be clear that thenarrow leaf of the cup has a sideflap or wing as 15 folded on and adhering to itself and that the widerleaf has side wings folded on itself and superimposed on the outersurface of the narrow leaf. The wings of the two side pairs are as shownintegral with each other. the result being that when the cup isfinished. it will be etfeetually closed against accidental leakage underordinary conditions for a considerable distance, already observed.slightl)v more than a half from its lower or closed end.l lt will alsobe noted that the .sides of the cup converge toward the closed endthereof. The importantl fact to which l wish to call attention is thatthe lateral wings converge toward the closed end of the cup, extendingthe complete length of the wide leaf 9 for a part of the length of thenarrow leaf 10 and what is most im portant that their inner edges arecontinued approximatelyY to the upper edge of the narrow leaf to whichit will be remembered theY Vare adhesivelv united. This last mentionedrelation is shown clearly in both Figs. t1 and 7.

it will he remembered that l have re-V ferred to the fact that the blank6 when flat is longitiulinallv eentrallvv creased at T. it will beunderstood that when the blank is doubled on itself to form thecompanion leaves. 9 and 10. this crease will be formed l'irzu-ticallvequally in the `two leaves but the porlions of the crease will beopposite. the result being that when the cup is pressed inward fromopposite sides` of the crease its opening is appreciably facilitatedwithout the necessity of having recourse. to the projecting portion ortongue of the longer leaf l0.

if the sheet he of waterproof material it is not necessarxY that theblanks or finished cups should be water proofed. If the opposite be thecase waterproofing substance such as paraffin can he applied to thepaper or mesetto lblanks on lines alternately at opposite sides of thelongitudinal center line of the sheet and finallyv closing againstliquid leakage the sides of the 'transversely folded blanks to formdrinking cups.

"2. A method of making drinking cups ivhieh comprises cutting from asheet in web forni a succession of blanks along oppositely inclinedangles. so that each cut ivill form the. side of one blank and the sideof a succeeding blank, then transversely folding the blanks on linesalternately at opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of thesheet,

and finally in closing ivith an adhesive the sides of the transverselyfolded blanks to form drinking cups.

3. A method of making drinking cups which comprises cutting from a sheetin web forni a succession of blanks along opposite angles so that eachcut ivill forni sides of iininediatel'v succeeding bla nks.-longitudinally centrally scoring the blanks. transversely Jfolding thesaine along lines lofated alternately at opposite sides ot thelongitudinal central line of the sheet. and finally closing againstliquid leakage. the sidesl of the trans-` versely folded blanks to formdrinking cups.

4. A method of making a drinking cup from a blank .having convergingside edges, which comprises folding the blank on itself along a straightline at one side of the transverse center line of the blank to producetwo leaves of different lengths. the side edges of the longer leaf thusconverging toward the open end of the folded blank, and the side edgesof the shorter leaf diverging toivard said open end. then applyiiig anadhesive to both leaves near their side edges. for the entire length ofthe short leaf. then folding the lateral portions of both leaves onthemselves along lines which diverge toivard the open end of the. blankto cause the parts of the blank which have thc adhesive to adhere onlyto the outer surface of the long leaf.

A method of making a drinking cup from a blank` having converging sideedges, ivhieli comprises folding the blank on itself along alongitudinal inedian line. folding the blank on its-ell' along astraight line at onev side. of the transverse center line of lthe 'blankto produce tvvo leaves of different lcngths. the side edges ofthe longerleaf thus converging toward the open end of the folded blank and theside edges of 'the shorter leaf divergiiig toward said open end7 thenapplying an adhesive to the leaves near their side edges of the entirelength of the short leaf, then folding the lateral portions of bothleaves on themselves along lines ivhich diverge toward the open end ofthe blank to cause parts of the blank which have the adhesive to adhereonly to the outer surt'aee of the long leaf. r

tl. A method of making a drinking. cup from a blank having convergingside edges, which comprises folding the blank on itself along a straightline extending transversely of the blank to thus produce two leaves, theside edges of one of the leaves converging toward the open end of thefolded blank and the side edges o f the other leaf diverging toward saidopen end. then applying an adhesive to the leaves near their side edgesfor approximatelvthe entire length of the folds ed blank. then foldingthe lateral portions of both leaves on themselves along lines whichdiverge toward the open end of the blank to thus cause the laterallyfolded portions of the blank provided with the adhesive to adhere onlyto the outer surface of that part. of said leaf the side edges of whichconverge toward the open end of the cup.

7. A method of making a drinking cup trom a blank having converging sideedges, which comprises folding the blank on itself along a straight lineextending transversely of the blank to produce tivo leaves, the sideedges of one of the leaves converging toward the open 'end of the blankand the side edges of the other leaf diverging toward said open end,then applying an adhesive t0 the leaves near their side edges forapproximately the entire length of the leaves. then folding the lateralportions of both leaves on themselves on lines which diverge toward theopen end of the, blank and which cross the lateral portions of the leafthe side edges of which converge toward the open end of the blank for adistance greater than half the length thereof from the transverse foldline, to cause parts of the blank which' have the adhesive to adhereonly to the outer surface of the blank the side edges of which convergetoivard the said open end.

8. A method of making a drinking cup from a blank having converging sideedges, which comprises longitudinally scoring the blank. transverselyfolding the same to vproduce superimposed leaves,` and then closing thelateral portions of the leaves to produce a drinking cup.

la. L. Mannen

